Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company records, 1905-1913,, bulk bulk 1909-1913

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Summary

Title:
Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company Records
Dates:
1905-1913,, bulk bulk 1909-1913
Creators:
Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company, Rhyolite, Nevada
Abstract:
While the bulk of the Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co. collection dates range from 1909 - 1913, there are documents from as early as 1905, when the bank first opened its doors. The majority of the documents are not from the bank's functioning years, but after the closing. While there are loan documents, mortgage contracts, and deposit slips, to name a few, most of this collection is made up of correspondence, which is included in Series 1. The correspondence is between, and pertaining to, bank administrators, attorneys for the bank and clients, the State Bank Examiner, and the bank's former clients. Series 2 holds documents pertaining to overall holdings at the Bullfrog Bank and Trust. Series 3 includes financial documents from the John S. Cook and Co. Bank, and Series 4 consists of financial documents pertaining to other banking institutions. For more detailed information, see the series descriptions. In total, these documents give an overview of the success, decline, and settlement of affairs of the Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co., as well as the inter-workings of the Bullfrog Mining District's local banking system.
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 boxes Linear feet: .6
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company Records, BANC MSS P-G 273, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

While the bulk of the Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co. collection dates range from 1909 - 1913, there are documents from as early as 1905, when the bank first opened its doors. The majority of the documents are not from the bank's functioning years, but after the closing. While there are loan documents, mortgage contracts, and deposit slips, to name a few, most of this collection is made up of correspondence, which is included in Series 1. The correspondence is between, and pertaining to, bank administrators, attorneys for the bank and clients, the State Bank Examiner, and the bank's former clients. Series 2 holds documents pertaining to overall holdings at the Bullfrog Bank and Trust. Series 3 includes financial documents from the John S. Cook and Co. Bank, and Series 4 consists of financial documents pertaining to other banking institutions. For more detailed information, see the series descriptions. In total, these documents give an overview of the success, decline, and settlement of affairs of the Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co., as well as the inter-workings of the Bullfrog Mining District's local banking system.

Biographical / historical:

The Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co. was incorporated in 1905, in the boom and bust mining town of Rhyolite, Nevada, located in the heart of the Bullfrog Mining District. Although there were other towns established nearby, including Beatty and Goldfield, Rhyolite became the main area for financial growth. Rhyolite's population peaked at 10,000 in 1907, with electricity and railroads connecting the town to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, enabling the banking systems to connect across state lines. The Bullfrog Bank and Trust Co. took this opportunity to serve the financial needs of the growing number of residents, becoming one of the two main banks in Rhyolite, the other being the John S. Cook and Co. Bank. The Bullfrog Bank did have a second branch in Beatty, Nevada; however, the Rhyolite location grew more quickly and had a larger financial holding.

Although it is not completely clear, there do seem to be connections between the Bullfrog Bank and other financial institutions, including the John S. Cook and Co. Bank, Pioneer Banking Corp., and the Citizen's National Bank in Los Angeles. One thing the collection does tell us is that when the Bullfrog Bank first opened its doors in Rhyolite, they did so with financial collateral provided by the Nevada State Bank and the Citizen's National Bank in Los Angeles. Although they had considerable support from larger banking institutions, and prospered from local residents' needs, the Bullfrog Bank and Trust closed their doors on June 29, 1909, and left the Nevada State Bank as their trustee to collect on outstanding loans and administer money owed to previous clients. Like typical boom and bust mining towns, Rhyolite and the Bullfrog Mining District were quickly exploited and the location did not have anything else substantial to offer the population. The Bullfrog Mining District, including Rhyolite, was virtually abandoned and the local banks became obsolete by 1916.

Acquisition information:
The Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company records: Rhyolite, Nevada, [ca. 1909 - 1913], was purchased by The Bancroft Library in 1957.
Processing information:

Processed by Crystal Miles in 2012.

Arrangement:

Arranged to the folder level.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by Crystal Miles
Date Prepared:
© 2007
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: October 2012

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Bullfrog Bank and Trust Company Records, BANC MSS P-G 273, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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